Reference Number:
No. 546-95

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STATEMENT FROM DEFENSE
SECRETARY WILLIAM J. PERRY

Senator Sam Nunn
has made an enormous contribution to the nation's security,and his legacy
will live on long after he leaves the Senate next year.

The key to Sam
Nunn's success is his ability to build a bi-partisan consensus for a
strong national defense. His belief that good security policy is a matter
of principle, not politics, has made him a valuable counselor to me
and to the nine other secretaries of defense who have served since he
was elected to the Senate in 1972. Presidents and world leaders also
seek his advice.

In the 1970s, Sen.
Nunn helped pass the Nunn-Warner legislation that set higher recruiting
standards and boosted pay and benefits for the newall-volunteer military.
The changes laid the foundation for the professional,highly capable
force that defends our nation today. During the same decade,his report,
"NATO and the New Soviet Threat," led to a series of changes that strengthened
the North Atlantic Alliance. He never lost sight of the central role
that NATO and Europe play in America's security.

In the 1980s, Sen.
Nunn worked tirelessly to pass and implement the Goldwater-Nichols Act
that has led a major improvement in our ability to conduct military
operations. These reforms strengthened the warfighting capability of
commanders in the field, enhanced joint operations and insured that
the president and the secretary of defense get the best military advice.

In
the current decade, Sen. Nunn's vision and legislative creativity produced
the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. This has
helped former Soviet states dismantle their nuclear arsenals and convert
former defense industries to civilian production.

The United States
is stronger and the world is safer because of Sam Nunn's bold and far-reaching
policies. I will miss his leadership when he leaves the Senate next
year, but I and others devoted to a strong secure nation will continue
to rely on his wise judgment and sound advise.